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The Human Dimensions of Hazards Research Group draws on the skills and knowledge base of faculty, student researchers, community members, and external researchers.
Faculty
Tara McGee, PhD
Director
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Tara directs the Human Dimensions of Hazards Research Group at the University of Alberta, where she is also Professor of Human Geography in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. Her research focuses on individual, community, and organizational responses to environmental hazards, focusing on wildfires. While primarily focused on the human dimensions of wildfire research in Canada, particularly in First Nations communities, she has also collaborated with researchers in Australia, New Zealand, and Portugal. Tara's research has been published in numerous journals and books. Tara enjoys mentoring undergraduate and graduate student researchers. She obtained her PhD from The Australian National University.
U of A ProfileGoogle ScholarResearchGate
U of A ProfileGoogle ScholarResearchGate
Students
Sumaira Niazi, MS
First Nations Community WildfiresPreparedness in BC
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Sumaira Niazi is a doctoral student in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Alberta. She is also working as a research assistant in the Human Dimensions of Hazard research group on a project, First Nations Community Wildfire Preparedness in BC, funded by BC Wildfire Services. She previously earned a master’s degree in Emergency Management and Disaster Sciences from the University of North Texas, United States. Her recent project, The Influence of Neighborhood Demographics on Post-Buyout Land Use Development in Harris County, Texas, earned a student paper competition award from the American Association of Geographers. Her research interests include preparedness, mitigation, and recovery planning for environmental disasters.
Sandani Siriwardhana, BSc
Public Responses to Prescribed Fire and Smoke
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Sandani is a first-year Master of Arts in Human Geography student in the Department of Earth & Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Alberta. Through her master’s thesis, she is exploring public support for returning fire to the land in BC with Dr. McGee. In 2020, she earned a Bachelor of Science in Environment Science and, in 2023, a postgraduate diploma in Climate Change and Environmental Management from the University of Colombo.
Zoe Cinnamon, BSc
Social Dimensions of Disaster Recovery
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Zoe Cinnamon is a first-year Master of Arts student at the University of Alberta. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, along with a Certificate in Sustainability, also from the University of Alberta. She is very passionate about the environment and is excited to discover the ways humans interact with it. Her master’s research, in collaboration with the Town of Jasper, focuses on social inequalities in the recovery process following community-level disruptions.
Postdoctoral Researcher
Doug Yearwood, PhD
Beyond the Fire: Social Dimensions of First Nations Wildfire Evacuations to Host Communities
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Doug completed his PhD in 2023 at Queen's University. His doctoral research was interdisciplinary, incorporating political economic, sociological, and geographical perspectives, and focused on gentrification and how it is enabled by financial actors and policy changes at different levels of government. He has taught several courses centred on human rights, international relations, and public administration. Doug's research, conducted as part of the FNWEP, will explore host communities’ experiences, preparedness, and impacts of recent hosting, to better understand the challenges faced and lessons learned by host communities in these events.
Staff
Hana Lima, MA
FNWEP Community Engagement Coordinator
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Hana is working as a Community Engagement Coordinator at the First Nations Wildfire Evacuation Partnership (FNWEP) with Dr. Tara MacGee and Dr. Amy Cardinal Christianson. She holds a master’s degree in Community Engagement from the University of Alberta, completed in 2023. Hana was a 2022 University of Alberta Graduate Entrance Scholarship Award recipient. She brings a wealth of expertise in program planning, stakeholder engagement, research, and effective communication with diverse audiences. Within the FNWEP, Hana is supporting engagement and communications initiatives, implementing knowledge mobilization strategies, and managing the organization's social media.
Alumni
Postdoctoral Scholars
Henok Asfaw (2020-2022) Media coverage of First Nation wildfire evacuees in Ontario.
Elise Gatti (2019-2021) Barriers to FireSmart communities.
Jennifer Sherry (2017-2018) Canadian Case Study: Scientific Diversity, Scientific Uncertainty and Risk Mitigation Policy and Planning Project.
PhD students
Arshad Khan Khalafzai (2014-2020) Frequent Spring Flooding Impacts, Evacuation / Experiences, and Perceived Adaptive Capacity of Kashechewan First Nation, northern Ontario.
Henok Asfaw (2013-2018) Wildfire evacuation and emergency management in remote First Nations: The case of Sandy Lake First Nation, northern Ontario.
Shehla Gul (2011-2019) Impact of Women’s participation in disaster recovery on their lives: A case study from Pakistan.
Amy Christianson (2006-2012) Wildfire risk perception and mitigation at Peavine Metis Settlement.
Masters students
Sandani Siriwardhand (2023-2006) Support for returning fire to the land in British Columbia.
Nathan Polard-Yopek (2019-2024) Preparedness of First Nations in Alberta.
Courtney Askin (2017-2021) How and why Indigenous people are engaged in wildland fire management.
Kyla Mottershead (2013-2017) The 2012 wildfire evacuation experiences of Dene Tha’ First Nation.
Leanne Labossiere (2011-2015) Innovative wildfire mitigation by local governments.
Jennifer Baker (2010-2013) Backcountry snowmobilers’ risk perceptions, avalanche related information seeking behaviours, preparedness and decision-making processes.
Sharon Romanowski (2006-2010) Residents’ responses to flooding in Boundary Bay, British Columbia.
Hilary Faulkner (Flanagan) (2006-2008) Residential wildfire mitigation and management preferences in Alberta.
Lauren Harris (2005-2008) Wildfire risk management by municipal governments in Alberta, Canada.
Honours students
Devon Healey (2021) Interpreting and responding to wildfire smoke.
External graduate students
Shubham Chaudhary (2023-2025) PhD student, SERB OVDF visiting scholar, CSIR CBRI Roorkee, India. Topic: Social dimensions of landslides.
Nicolas Basque (2020-2021) M.A. Disaster and Emergency Management Program, Royal Roads University. Topic: Social capital and planned relocation of communities as disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation.
Maia Foster-Sanchez (2019-2020) M.A. Disaster and Emergency Management, Royal Roads University. Topic: Hosting First Nation Wildfire Evacuees in Timmins, Ontario. Maia won the Governor General Gold Medal for her thesis.
Martin Pollard (2014-2015) M.A. Disaster and Emergency Management, Royal Roads University. Topic: Analysis of the 2011 Northern Alberta Wildfires disaster relief efforts by the Canadian Red Cross.
Doug Cote (2010-2011) M.A. Disaster and Emergency Management, Royal Roads University. Topic: “That’s been our plan all along”: Exploring hazard and risk perceptions regarding stay-and-defend practices in the community of Mt. Lorne, Yukon.
Undergraduate directed study research students
Nathan Polard-Yopek (2019)
Shivah Yusefi (2019)
Paul Cabling (2017-18)
Anneka Bakker (2011)
Lesley Bannister (2011)
Adam Shamchuk (2011)
Brett Howard (2010)
Jennifer Baker (2010)
Stephanie Chai (2007)
Hilary Flanagan (2005)
Justin Bairnes (2005)
Blaine Garrison (2004)
Mark Ng (2004)
Robyn Klein (2003)
Loretta Richter (2003)
Debbie Rawson (2003)
I-STEAM pathways interns
Thomas Carstens (2026) Artificial Intelligence and Indigenous emergency planning: Identifying gaps, risks, and opportunities for First Nations wildfire evacuation preparedness.
Mariah Calliou (2025) Wildfire evacuation media analysis.
Vaughn Beaulieu-Mercredi (2020) Wildfire smoke and Indigenous Peoples.
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